Infobase Publishing
Corporate brand
UnclaimedInfobase is an American educational and reference publisher serving libraries, schools, universities, and professional information users through print, digital, audiovisual, and database products.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Infobase is an American publisher focused on reference information, educational content, and digital learning resources. Its principal customers are libraries, secondary schools, universities, educators, and students, particularly in the North American market. Rather than operating as a single narrowly defined trade imprint, Infobase functions as a portfolio publisher whose products are distributed through multiple specialized brands and editorial programs. The company’s publishing activities span traditional nonfiction reference books, curriculum-support materials, career and professional information, educational video, online databases, and subscription-oriented digital services. Its portfolio includes established names such as Facts On File, Chelsea House, Ferguson Publishing, Films for the Humanities & Sciences, Cambridge Educational, Omnigraphics, and Vault Law. Chelsea House is also associated with Bloom’s Literary Criticism, a literary studies collection developed under the direction of critic Harold Bloom. The breadth of these imprints allows Infobase to address general reference, subject encyclopedias, classroom instruction, career education, health information, literature, law, and audiovisual learning. The company’s history is closely connected with the development and consolidation of specialist reference publishers. Facts On File, one of the best-known businesses in the portfolio, began publishing in 1941 and later spent several decades under the ownership of CCH before changing hands in the 1990s. Chelsea House, founded in 1966, developed a reputation for multivolume reference works. These legacy publishers supplied the editorial catalog and institutional relationships that later supported Infobase’s broader platform. Ownership and acquisition have been recurring features of Infobase’s development. Veronis Suhler Stevenson acquired Facts On File and Chelsea House in 2005. Infobase subsequently expanded through purchases including Films for the Humanities & Sciences in 2007, The World Almanac in 2009, Learn360 in 2012, and The Mailbox lesson-plan business and Learning magazine in 2017. The company also acquired Credo Reference in 2018 and Firsthand, including Vault.com, in 2021. Omnigraphics joined the portfolio in 2022. Some assets have later been divested; The World Almanac was sold to SkyHorse Publishing in 2020. Infobase’s ownership changed again when Veronis Suhler Stevenson sold the business to Centre Lane Partners in 2018. Northlane Capital Partners became the majority owner in 2022. These transactions reflect the company’s position as a privately held information and educational-content platform rather than a publicly traded media company. Its current positioning combines authoritative editorial publishing with digital delivery. Print reference works remain part of the business, but Infobase also supplies online databases, streaming and educational video, curriculum tools, and electronic research resources. The overall brand proposition is institutional usefulness: organized, edited, and curriculum-relevant information designed for use in classrooms, libraries, and academic research environments. Publicly available reference material does not establish a precise founding date for Infobase itself, a current headquarters location, or a named executive leadership roster, so those fields remain unspecified.
History
Infobase’s development is best understood as the assembly of a portfolio of specialist reference, educational, and information businesses. The company’s most important historical foundations predate the Infobase name. Facts On File began publishing in 1941 and built a catalog of general reference and trade nonfiction. From 1965 until 1993 it was owned by CCH, after which it became part of a changing group of publishing assets. Chelsea House was established in 1966 and became known for multivolume reference publications. Its later association with Bloom’s Literary Criticism connected the imprint to a major literary-studies reference program developed under Harold Bloom’s direction. A significant phase of consolidation began in 2005, when private-equity firm Veronis Suhler Stevenson acquired Facts On File and Chelsea House. The resulting platform provided a base of established editorial brands and institutional customers. Infobase expanded beyond conventional print reference publishing in 2007 by acquiring Films for the Humanities & Sciences, giving it a stronger position in educational film and audiovisual learning. In 2009, it acquired The World Almanac, adding a widely recognized almanac and reference title to the portfolio. The business continued moving toward digital and classroom-oriented delivery. Learn360 was acquired in 2012, adding an online learning and educational-media service. In 2017, Infobase acquired The Mailbox lesson-plan business and Learning magazine, broadening its teacher-support and classroom-resource activities. These transactions complemented the company’s continuing publication of print reference works with products intended for recurring use by educators, libraries, and students. Infobase’s ownership changed in 2018, when Veronis Suhler Stevenson sold the company to Centre Lane Partners. That year also brought the acquisition of Credo Reference, a digital reference provider whose capabilities fit Infobase’s library and research focus. The portfolio was not static: Infobase sold The World Almanac to SkyHorse Publishing in 2020, showing that the company also reshaped its holdings through divestiture. In 2021, Infobase acquired Firsthand, including Vault.com. This extended the business into career guidance, employer and professional information, and law-related resources through Vault Law. In 2022, Northlane Capital Partners became Infobase’s majority owner, and Infobase acquired Omnigraphics, another reference publisher. The Omnigraphics transaction reinforced the company’s position in specialized nonfiction and health-related information. Across these stages, Infobase evolved from a collection of traditional publishing imprints into a broader information-services company. Its output now includes books, digital reference products, online databases, educational video, lesson materials, curriculum resources, and career information. Its principal institutional markets remain libraries, schools, universities, and related educational users, especially in North America. Available public reference material does not provide a definitive founding year for Infobase as a corporate entity, a verified current headquarters address, or a complete current and former executive list.
- 2022
Northlane becomes majority owner and Omnigraphics is acquired
[1]Northlane Capital Partners becomes Infobase’s majority owner, and Omnigraphics joins the publishing portfolio.
- 2021
Firsthand and Vault.com are acquired
[1]Infobase adds career and professional information through Firsthand and Vault.com.
- 2020
The World Almanac is divested
[1]The World Almanac is sold to SkyHorse Publishing.
- 2018
Infobase changes ownership and acquires Credo Reference
[1]Centre Lane Partners acquires Infobase, while Credo Reference adds digital reference capabilities.
- 2017
The Mailbox and Learning magazine are acquired
[1]Infobase expands its teacher-resource and classroom-publishing activities.
- 2012
Learn360 is acquired
[1]The acquisition adds a digital learning and educational-media service.
- 2009
The World Almanac joins the portfolio
[1]Infobase acquires The World Almanac.
- 2007
Films for the Humanities & Sciences joins Infobase
[1]Infobase expands into educational audiovisual content.
- 2005
Veronis Suhler Stevenson acquires Facts On File and Chelsea House
[1]The private-equity firm acquires two important reference-publishing businesses that later form part of Infobase’s platform.
- 2003
Facts On File acquires Ferguson Publishing
[1]Ferguson Publishing, known for career-education works, is acquired by Facts On File.
Products and positioning
A specialist educational and reference-information publisher that combines established nonfiction imprints with digital databases, audiovisual learning, curriculum resources, and career information for libraries, schools, universities, and professional users.
General reference and nonfiction publishing · 1941
Facts On File
Facts On File is a long-established reference and nonfiction imprint founded in 1941. Its publishing program includes general reference books, subject-focused works, and trade-oriented nonfiction for educational and library audiences. The imprint is one of the historical foundations of Infobase’s portfolio and also acquired Ferguson Publishing in 2003, bringing career-education content into the broader group.
Reference publishing · 1966
Chelsea House Publishing
Chelsea House is a reference imprint founded in 1966 and associated particularly with multivolume works. Its catalog supports research and instructional use across subject areas, and the imprint is also connected with Bloom’s Literary Criticism, a specialized literary-studies collection produced under the direction of Harold Bloom.
Educational audiovisual content
Films for the Humanities & Sciences
Films for the Humanities & Sciences provides audiovisual material for educational and institutional use. Its inclusion in Infobase’s portfolio supports classroom instruction, library collections, and curriculum-based learning through film and related digital media rather than print reference alone.
Digital learning platform · 2012
Learn360
Learn360 is a digital learning and educational-media service acquired by Infobase in 2012. It extends the company’s reach into online classroom resources and multimedia learning, complementing its book publishing and audiovisual catalog with a platform-oriented delivery model.
Literary criticism and humanities reference
Bloom's Literary Criticism
Bloom’s Literary Criticism is a special collection associated with the Chelsea House imprint. It provides reference and critical material for the study of authors, literary works, and movements, and is linked to the editorial direction of literary critic Harold Bloom.
Career and professional information · 2021
Vault Law and Firsthand
Firsthand, including Vault.com and Vault Law, adds career, employer, professional, and legal-career information to Infobase’s education and reference portfolio. These resources serve users making academic, professional, and career-planning decisions.
Specialized reference publishing · 2022
Omnigraphics
Omnigraphics is a specialized reference publisher acquired by Infobase in 2022. Its inclusion adds subject-oriented nonfiction and reference resources to Infobase’s catalog, including materials designed for libraries, educators, students, and general information users.
Brand decisions
2022
Acquire OmnigraphicsM&ABackground
Infobase continued consolidating specialist reference publishing assets under its educational and library-focused platform.
Action taken
Infobase acquired Omnigraphics.
Aftermath
The transaction expanded Infobase’s specialized reference catalog.
2021
Acquire Firsthand and Vault.comM&ABackground
Infobase sought to broaden its information products beyond conventional reference and classroom publishing.
Action taken
Infobase acquired Firsthand, including Vault.com and the Vault Law business.
Aftermath
The acquisition added career, employer, professional, and legal-career information to Infobase’s institutional and individual-user offerings.
2020
Divest The World AlmanacStrategyBackground
Infobase continued to reshape its portfolio after expanding through multiple acquisitions.
Action taken
The World Almanac was sold to SkyHorse Publishing.
Aftermath
The divestiture reduced the scope of Infobase’s reference holdings while leaving the company focused on educational, digital, and specialist information products.
2018
Acquire Credo ReferenceM&ABackground
Infobase was expanding from traditional reference publishing into digital information services for libraries and educational institutions.
Action taken
Infobase acquired Credo Reference and incorporated its digital reference capabilities into the broader portfolio.
Aftermath
The transaction strengthened Infobase’s position in online reference and library-oriented research resources.
Recent events
Reported
Infobase acquires Firsthand[3]
Infobase announced that it had acquired Firsthand, a career mentoring and engagement platform, and would merge it with its Vault brand.
Reported
Infobase announces acquisition of Hoonuit professional development platform[4]
Infobase announced its acquisition of Hoonuit's Professional Development and Training Platform. The announcement describes the acquisition but does not establish that it was completed.
Sources4 sources
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